Apparatus and method for real-time measurement of cellular response
First Claim
1. An apparatus for measuring the concentration-dependent response of living cells to an agonist, comprising:
- a cell suspension input that provides a constant flow of living cells;
an agonist input that provides an agonist;
a mixing zone, fluidly coupled to said cell suspension input and said agonist input, for mixing said agonist with said living cells;
a detector, fluidly coupled to the mixing zone, for measuring a response of the living cells to the agonist as said cells flow past said detector; and
a valve fluidly coupled to said detector for temporarily interrupting the flow of cells past the detector.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for real-time measurement of a cellular response of a test compound or series of test compounds (303) on a flowing suspension of cells (349), in which a homogenous suspension of each member of a series of cell types (349) is combined with a concentration of a test compound (303), directed through a detection zone (355), and a cellular response of the living cells is measured in real time as the cells in the test mixture are flowing through the detection zone (355). The apparatus may be used in automated screening of libraries of compounds, and is capable of real-time variation of concentrations of test and standard compounds and generation of dose/response profiles within a short timespan.
72 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An apparatus for measuring the concentration-dependent response of living cells to an agonist, comprising:
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a cell suspension input that provides a constant flow of living cells;
an agonist input that provides an agonist;
a mixing zone, fluidly coupled to said cell suspension input and said agonist input, for mixing said agonist with said living cells;
a detector, fluidly coupled to the mixing zone, for measuring a response of the living cells to the agonist as said cells flow past said detector; and
a valve fluidly coupled to said detector for temporarily interrupting the flow of cells past the detector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for determining a response of living cells to an agonist, comprising:
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providing a constant flow of an agonist;
providing a constant flow of living cells;
combining said flow of agonist with said flow of living cells to form a combined flow of said agonist and said living cells;
directing said combined flow of said agonist and said cells to a detector;
controlling the flow of said agonist and said cells through the detector by actuating a valve, wherein a response of the living cells to the varying concentrations of the agonist is measured as said cells are laced within said detector. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification